New Concepts in Pet Health Care Optimized by the Use of Orthomolecular Specialties

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With the advent of mega vitamin therapies, in the 1970′, the US government attempted to apply controls such as requiring prescriptions from physicians and veterinarians for dispensing these mega nutritional quantities. Because these gram amounts of supplements acted as pharmaceuticals, they thought it best to control them as such. Well, this got nowhere fast, the lobbyists shot it down in a hurry. My first inclination was to agree with the vitamin/mineral industry, who had millions of dollars invested in their companies and would necessitate having to make massive changes and adjustments. In time, after reviewing some of my experiences with vitamin/mineral purveyors, I had to reconsider my previous thoughts about the negatives for the vitamin/mineral purveyors. The clinical studies with mega vitamins/minerals have been accomplished by health professionals, nutritionists , physicians, and veterinarians. These professionals have the necessary knowledge of diseases processes, pathology, physiology, and pharmacology, without which it would be impossible to accomplish. With the published studies, of these professionals, vitamin purveyors employ these studies for the purpose of selling their products. Many supplement entrepreneurs have little or no knowledge of disease processes as previously mentioned, and this lack of knowledge can be catastrophic. I can recall an instance some time ago when I published my clinical results on the prevention and control of feline leukemia (FeLV) incorporating Mega C Plus, a combination of twenty three vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals. Shortly there after a vitamin purveyor began offering vitamin A, for the prevention and control of the disease. It was recommended administering beta-carotene, a source for vitamin A (pro-vitamin). Felines cannot convert beta-carotene into vitamin A they do not have the necessary enzymes to accomplish the transition. This is a perfect example of a lack of knowledge, physiology and pharmacology. There are those who lack knowledge of fat soluble and water soluble vitamins, which forms of calcium are best for mammals, which vitamins and minerals are compatible. I chuckle when I view supplements labels at pharmacies with the combination of ferrous sulfate, a source for iron, together with d-alpha tocopherol (vitamin E); ferrous sulfate has an inhibitory effect on vitamin E, a classic example of incompatibility. My view on controls for mega vitamin/mineral are not quite extreme as the US government, dispensing these supplements via prescriptions, but rather mandating a requirement for the purveyors, to have training and knowledge for the specific purpose and use of the mega supplements. Mega vitamin/mineral protocols are serious business, please be careful, seek as much information as possible before administering them to your pets.